Flaring tool



Aug. 24, 193 7.

w. E. ARNDT 2,090,660

FLARING TOOL Filed Jan. 19, 1935 fla IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 24, 1937 PATENT OFFICE I 2.00am sumo TOOL William E. Arndt, Detroit,

-Thelm lneh aldsneete perlsl Brass Hannfacturlng mm,

Application January 10,1935, lerlal NO. I

4 Claims.

My invention relates to tools and more particularly to hand operated tools of the type in use for flaring various sizes of metal tubing.

The general object of my invention is to provide a tool which is capable of flaring any of the several standard sized tubes and in which the flaring element can be kept in place and in adjustment during insertion in and removal of tubes from the clamping member.

Another object is to provide a flaring tool wherein an adjustment for the flaring element can be set at a position for a desired size of flare and which can be readily repositioned for succeeding tubes clamped against it, making possible 16 any number of succeeding identical flares with a.

minimum of adjustment.

A further object of my device is to provide a clamping means which may be separated to allow inspection of the flare without removal of either 20 tube or the flaring element positioned thereon.

A still further object is to provide a flaring tool having separable clamping members recessed to accommodate a variety of sizes of tubes, one of said separable members supporting a flaring 25 member, interchangeable from one recess to another while the tool is in either open or closed position, the flaring means being adjustable at either position for a predetermined size of flare.

In pursuance of the foregoing objects, I aim to 0 provide a tool for flaring tubes of brass, copper, aluminum and such metals when they are to be used with fittings in making connections. Further objects of my invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, taken in connec- 35 tion with the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification.

Fig. 1 shows the device in open position, ready I to receive a tube.

Fig. 2 shows the device with a tube inserted 40 in it ready for the flaring operation.

Fig. 3 is a section on line AA of Fig. 1. While my invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, I have shown in the drawing and will herein describe one such 45 embodiment, with the understanding that the present disclosure is one exempliflcation of the principles of the device, and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in 50 the appended claims.

A great deal of difllculty has been experienced with hand flaring tools in the past in producing a flaring element which can be rapidly and easily positioned with a minimum of adjustment. In 55 most cases the flaring element could not be P081- tloned before clamping the tube which meant that the'flarlngconehad toberetracted to allow the point to clear the edge of the tube in place and then screwed in several turns before the flaring was commenced. Others required an 5 assortment of pieces to accommodate the different sizes of tubes and invariably necessitated several adjustments to set them in operative position. My present device permits a single adjustment of the flaring element to satisfy any num- 1 ber of flaring operations on successive tubes. It also provides for b the tube up into contact with the flaring element so that no motion is lost, as in previous devices, in bringing the flaring element up to the point where actual flaring is commenced.

As shown in the drawing a clamping member composed of two unequal, complementary leg sections holds a tube in place.- A frame comprising the flxed portion of a flaring means is fastened to the clamping member and remains in position while the movable portion is screwed in to produce the flare. The clamping members are represented by Nos. 1 and 2, and hold a tube 3 in place while the flaring element 5 is screwed through its supporting frame 4 to make the flare.

In the clamping member itself a leg I is pivotally supported on a bolt III which is threaded near its end It to accommodate a wing nut If. The bolt proper is pivoted at its other end where fastened to leg 2 at II so that when the leg is swung from the position shown in Fig. 1 forward and upward, to horizontal, it can be pivoted from that position toward the right into flnal position against leg 2. At the right end of leg 2 is a bolt I4 pivotally fastened at I! to leg 2 and threaded to accommodate a wing nut l6. Leg l is slotted at I! to receive the shank of bolt M when in position against leg 2.

Half segments 20, 2|, 22, and 23 of the tube receiving recesses in leg I correspond respectively to segments 20', 2|, 22', and 23' in leg 2. Above the segments the recesses broaden out cone shaped to the bases of the threaded portions 20", 2|", 22", and 23". The shape of the conical surfaces determines the shape of the resultant flare. The threaded portions or holes extend in a complete circle in the upper surface 25 of leg 2 and exist as normal threaded holes through the lip 28, concentric with the tube receiving re- 0 cesses in assembled position. Below the lip they are threaded, partly on leg 2 above segments 20', 2|, 22',, and 23 and partly on complementary recesses in leg I. Threading below lip 26 is optional and may or may not be used during the operation of the device, depending on the construction of frame 4. a

The frame 4 is engsgeable preferably in the upper face of one leg of the clamping member by means of threads cut in the bottom portion l. to correspond to the thread holes in the legs, and is centered thereby over the receiving recesses. At the center of the frame is a passage through which passesthe shank I of the flaring element 5 which may be screw threaded thereinto. An aperture in the bottom of the shank receives the upward extending stem of a cone member a which is secured thereto at a desired extended position by means of a pin s! which compels the cone to rotate with the shank'and permits it to tilt slightly and adjust itself laterally when rotated during operation. The outer diameter of the cone being larger than the hole for shank si prevents its withdrawal upward thru the frame by abutment against the lower face. In the top of shank ll is a cross arm 84 to furnish a hand grip when flaring. The movement of flaring shank and cone with respect to the frame is independent of the motion of the frame when screwed into the clamping member.

In operation the frame 4 is screwed into place over the particular tube receiving recess to be used. Shank 3i bearing the flaring cone 82 is then retracted a desired distance, usually until the cone bears against the lower face of the frame. Now a tube is pushed into the recess until it stops against the cone. In this manner no adjusting back and forth of the tube is necessary to set it in place for the exact required flare size. When the tube has been inserted under the cone the other leg of the clamping member is swung into place and screwed tight by use of wing nuts I! and It and the tube is ready for flaring. By this it is readily seen that any number of tubes may be flared with exactly the same size flare without removing the frame bearing the flaring element and without retracting the flaring cone more than the actual distance it travels while making the flare. The frame may be shifted from one hole to another at any time whether the clamping memher be open or closed.

A noteworthy modification is that wherein the conical member 32 may be made to threadably engage into the shank ll with provision for locking in place instead of being supported by the pin as described. With such an adjustment the flare size can beset for a run of tubes by screw- -ing the conical member in or out of the flaring shank.

With the latest described arrangement the necessity for screwing the cone a certain number of turns in from the abutment position to vary the flare size is replaced by the preadgjustment of the cone position in the shank. and retraction of the cone against the frame each time establishes the start position for each flare.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is new and wish to secure by Letters Pat- 65 cut 18:

LA tube flaring tool comprising separable clamping members having a plurality of recessed tube-receiving means therein for simultaneoiuly securing a plurality oi tubes of various sisss in flaring position, means integral with one of said members forming apertures concentric respectively with the tube-receiving means. and a removable frame including a tube flaring means supportable in said aperture means for successively flaring said tubes without releasing the clamping members. said frame having a threaded central aperture and a shoulder at the bottom side thereof, said flaring means cornprising a screw element threadable into said central aperture having a tapered portion at the bottom thereof and threadably extendible into flaring position and retractible against said shoulder to a flxed stop position.

2. A flaring tool for tubing comprising, in combination, a body and a detachable frame, said body comprising separable unequal abutting parts, each having portions of a plurality of matched opposing tube-clamping recess means in the abutting surfaces thereof simultaneously operable to secure tubing of a variety of sizes, one of said parts having a portion adjacent the abutting edge adapted to overlie the other, said portion bearing a plurality of threaded apertures forming with the recess means continuous concentric apertures when the parts are secured together in tube-clamping relation, the frame being threaded for extension into the concentric aperturu to a fixed position and carrying a flaring member comprising a flaring cone and a threaded shaft extendible into said frame and said concentric apertures to a flaring position and retraotible to a limited position against the frame.

3. A flaring tool for tubing having. in combination, a body and a frame, said body comprising un qual parts having abutting surfaces thereon. said surfaces being provided with matched opposed tube-clamping recesses, one of said parts having a portion adapted to overlie the other when the parts are secured in tubeclamping relation and having threaded aperture means therein forming with the recesses a continuous concentric passage means, said frame being threaded for extension into the means to a limited position and supporting a flaring member, said member being extendible into said frame and said passage means to a flaring position and retractible therefrom to a fixed position against the frame.

e. A flaring tool comprising a pair of tubeclamping members containing aperture means for securing tubing when in clamped position, a detachable frame extendible into the apertwe means to a fixed position and seem-able therein, and a flaring member extendible into the frame and into the aperture means to a flaring position and retractible therefrom to an initial position so that the tubing can be released from the clamping means.

WILLIAME. mm. 

